Field notes from the space industry catalog.
Hiring trends, salary intel, companies to watch, and how we source roles. Written for space engineers and operators thinking about their next move.
The space engineering interview process at SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Anduril, and more (2026)
Six major space employers, six different interview structures. SpaceX is behavioral-heavy and long. Rocket Lab is engineering-focused and fast. Vast interviews everyone onsite. What candidates actually report.
Aerospace and space engineer salaries in 2026: what 36 companies actually pay
Real disclosed comp bands from 2,652 active aerospace and space industry job postings. SpaceX is not the highest-paying. Full breakdown by company, stage, and level.
How to break into the space industry without an aerospace degree
Only 5% of SpaceX job postings actually require an aerospace degree. 24% mention CS. 25% mention physics or math. What 4,500 space postings say about who the industry actually hires.
Which space companies are hiring in 2026 (and who's actually growing)
Blue Origin nearly 10x'd their monthly posting rate. Anduril's space division doubled. SpaceX is flat. The real Q2 pulse from ~5,250 unique openings across 44 space employers.
Which space companies are software-first (and which are hardware-first)
Space is a hardware industry, but not all space companies are hardware-heavy. Planet Labs, Loft Orbital, Muon Space, and Astranis have much larger software footprints than SpaceX or Blue Origin. What the role mix says.
Which space jobs are open to non-citizens (and which really aren't)
The ITAR wall is not where most engineers think. Anduril, Rocket Lab, Vast, and Planet Labs post hundreds of roles that don't require US citizenship. What the actual data says about visa-eligible space work.
New space companies hiring in 2026, beyond SpaceX and Blue Origin
The space startups and mid-stage employers hiring hard right now. Vast, Muon, K2, True Anomaly, Turion, Kepler, Xona, HawkEye 360, Stoke, Astranis, and more. Where they are, what they do, what they pay.
Space industry jobs by city in 2026: Long Beach, Hawthorne, Denver, and the rest
Long Beach is now the biggest space-engineering hub in the US, with 635 active roles across 6 companies. Hawthorne is SpaceX, Bastrop is Starbase, Denver is Front Range defense-space. Where the industry actually is.
Why we built Made For Space
The aggregators repost the same SpaceX Senior Avionics listing fifteen times. Somebody had to build the alternative, so I did.
